Forbearance
by cheshire-writer
Summary: Hell isn't all fire and brimstone. Raditz learned that the hard way as his body was slowly ripped apart piece by piece, leaving only his mind for the hell creatures to throw him back into another painful memory. Then his brother wishes him back to life, leaving Raditz left to wonder if he can live with the memories that haunt him. Placed 4 months after the Buu arc. Warning: Yaoi
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well here we go, I actually wrote a fic for my favourite yet unpopular pairing. I hope everyone enjoys! :D**

**Warning: This fic is written with the main pairing of Raditz/Goku and will contain graphic yaoi, violence, incest, angst, and M-preg**

**Continue reading at your own risk**

Hell isn't all fire and brimstone. Raditz learned that the hard way as his body was slowly ripped apart piece by piece, leaving only his mind for the hell creatures to throw him back into another painful memory.

He was young, barely five years old when his teacher finally explained to him that the reason he had never seen his mother was because she had died in childbirth, losing her life as she tried to bring another into the world. He remembered wondering if that was the reason his father was always away. That he hated him for taking away his mate. Raditz had failed to return home after school that day. His father would find him the hours later, weeping over his mother's grave site. The grave site that Bardock had never shown him.

The memory faded to ten years later. Raditz was sitting in the ships infirmary, Bardock's second mate was in the room in front of him, birthing what would be his brother. Though he managed to keep himself still his mind still ran through his thoughts at a feverish pace. Would this woman die as his Mother did? Would the child feel the same haunting guilt as he did? It was hours before the sound of a crying reached his ears. It made his entire body tense. Then after a long wait the woman walked out of the room with the newborn in her arm. She handed it to Raditz and left, her group was due for their next mission and she refused to miss it.

He sat there for a long time holding his sibling, at a loss of what to do next. Then the little boy yawned and looked up at him with large, curious eyes. Raditz thought the kid was going to cry. But then he didn't, instead the little boy rubbed his eyes and tucked himself close to the older Saiyans chest before gurgling in contentment. To say Raditz was awed an understatement, he was in complete shock. The child then wrapped his thin tail around his wrist and Raditz swore to himself that he would never let anything happen to his little brother.

"Oh but you did, isn't that right?" One of the hell creatures laughed, making Raditz cringe at its shrieking voice.

For a full week Raditz spent every moment of his free time with the child he named Kakarot Until he was forced to join his team on another mission to renovate another planet. During his mission he was told that Kakarot had been sent to a far away planet, an hour after he was contacted, planet Vegeta was destroyed. When Raditz got back to his ship, he erased all records of Kakarot from Frieza's database. His father was among one of the casualties and the existence of his brother would remain his secret for years- until… he returned to earth.

"You're skipping something." The hell creature chided before laughing maniacally.

"No!" Raditz felt himself yell, only to be met with more laughter ringing in his ears.

He refused to see that memory, even as he felt the crushing pain on his abdomen and knew that not only would he be seeing it, he was going to be forced to relive it as the demons had forced many times before.

But then, it was all gone. The pain, the hell creatures; he even felt soft, plush grass under him where he lay on the ground. Slowly, Raditz lifted himself from the ground. Then he saw him, his brother, just standing a few mere meters away from him. His whole body tensed, readying himself for the fight that would surely occur.

"Hey Raditz, calm down."

Calm… down? He couldn't be serious.

"Where the hell am I!"

"Earth... I just wished you back."

Wished him back? He had known that his Saiyan comrades had refused to revive him, the hell creatures were eager to share that he had been abandoned. His death on earth had been a waste. So why would his brother bring him back? He voiced the question out loud.

"I... You deserved a second chance." Raditz snorted. "We gave Vegeta a second chance and he ended up okay."

"I couldn't care less about the royal brat!" he spat back, causing Kakarot to pause.

"But I thought you-"

"You thought what? I was his loyal servant just because he was dubbed a 'Prince' on our dead planet? Fat chance! Nappa may have held on to those ideals but I was the only one to recognize what a waste such titles were."

"I just thought you guys were close." It was Raditz's turn to pause.

"Apparently not enough to keep me alive."

Both were silent, staring at each other. Waiting for the other to make the next move. It was then that Raditz noticed the dark circles under his brother's eyes, the frail thinness of his body, and the swishing appendage that swayed behind him.

"You... grew your tail back."

Kakarot looked back to admire the smooth motion of his tail moving back and forth.

"Well you were really angry last time when I didn't have it so I wished it back before I wished you back."

"Exactly how many times can you make a wish?"

"Well you get three wishes every time you summon Shenron, then you gotta wait a year to gather the dragon balls, but since I only made two wishes this time it'll only take three months for the dragon balls to appear again."

Raditz sighed and rubbed his temples as a headache began to sink in. The air was cold while their surroundings were shrouded in fog. It didn't surprise him when he heard the rumble of thunder in the distance or that rain soon followed.

"We should probably get back home." Kakarot said absentmindedly before floating into the air.

"Home?"

"Yeah, my house is just over those hills there." Kakarot pointed off into the distance before taking off.

Raditz heaved another sigh before ascending to his brother's side. The rain was getting worse and the damp was weighing down his thick hair. That and the fact that he was still on wearing his Saiyan armour made for a very cold flight. A flight that had been relatively uneventful, Raditz did take notice that his brother's flight seemed rather uneven, as if he didn't have the energy for it.

They landed in front of the house and Raditz took a moment to look around. The house looked strange to him, but otherwise in good condition, he could even see the signs of a garden peeking out from behind the building. Kakarot lead him inside, the door opening to a modest sized kitchen, automatically the lights flickered on. Instantly his eyes focused on the refrigerator.

"Do you have any food in this house?"

"Uh… not really, sorry should've thought of that." Kakarot laughed while scratching the bridge of his nose.

Raditz glared before walking out the door, his brother following close behind.

"W-where are you going?" He asked in a slight panic.

"I'm getting dinner; you can heat up the stove to cook it!"

And before Kakarot could reply, Raditz flew off. He easily tracked down a large moose, killing it with a quick snap of its neck. It took him a little longer to carry the creature home but less time to butcher it and make it suitable to cook in the earthling kitchen. He took the kill inside and dropped the raw meet on the table.

"That didn't take you long!" Kakarot quipped joyfully while bounding over to his side.

"Of course not! Now how long will it take you to cook this?"

"Well I think it'll take awhile since there's a lot of it so... maybe an hour?"

"While you do that, is there a shower I can use?"

"Yep, down the hall and it's the last door on your left."

"Thanks."

The bathroom was small without being cramped, sea foam green tiles covered the floor, white tiles covered the wall, two lights with sky blue glass hung beside the medicine cabinet that was over the sink, and a indigo green shower curtain hung from the curtain rings over a large tub, the shower head hung from the wall at the far end of the tub. Raditz drew the curtain back and ran the water to the correct temperature before pulling the tab so that the water would flow through the shower head. Then he stripped himself of his armour, faintly wondering why he had been resurrected in the garment.

Once under the steaming water he slumped down into a shivering cluster, his knees tucked to his chest, letting the water beat down on his head and back. Why bother resurrecting me? He had asked himself the question many times; so many times that it had begun to become a repetitive line of mental white noise. He saw no gain for his brother in resurrecting him. When Raditz had arrived on earth he had brought Kakarot nothing but grief. He had even kidnapped his brother's half-Saiyan child when his demands weren't met. Wasn't the earthen Saiyan afraid for his child's safety? Or for the humans he seemed to care so much a about. Raditz bit his lip. He hadn't seen his nephew in the house, he wondered if Kakarot had placed his family elsewhere as a precautionary measure. He wouldn't blame him if he had. Though it still left the question of why Kakarot had resurrected him, and he wasn't buying the 'second chance' bullshit.

Absently he began to wash his hair, working his fingers through some of the many tangles. He often wondered if he should cut it down to size but could never bring himself to do it. In the few pictures he had seen of his mother her hair was always worn long like his and he wanted to hold on to that resemblance. It took him a long time to wash it; after all it was a lot of hair. He then scrubbed his body before relaxing back into the water, letting the waters warmth to relieve every muscle of its tension. Reluctantly he turned off the water and grabbed a towel to dry off. By the time he managed to dry all of his hair the towel was soaked. He then heard a knock on the door.

"What do you need?"

"If you open the door I can give you a change of clothes."

Raditz wrapped the towel neatly around his waist before opening the door. Kakarot held up a bundle of clothing to him.

"They're my clothes so if they don't fit I can try and get you a different pair."

"They'll probably be fine."

"Okay, while you get dressed I'll finish up dinner and then we can eat!" He then skittered back to the kitchen.

The grey jogging pants were short on his legs but the white t-shirt fit fine. He went to the dining room where Kakarot had set the table with the Moose as the centre piece. Raditz was also pleased to see that along with the moose Kakarot had prepared mashed potatoes, an assortment of garden vegetables and two large pitchers of iced tea.

"This looks incredible Kakarot, good to see that the bump on your head didn't destroy your appetite!"

"Eh hehehe, thanks, I think."

They then sat down to eat in the usually Saiyan fashion, rapidly and with little to no pause in between chomps. Within minutes the table was cleared and both satisfied. Raditz volunteered to clean to show his gratitude for the meal, and it was really the least he could do.

"Well how about you wash the dishes and I'll dry them?"

"That works to."

Both were quiet as they completed their task. The rumble of thunder could still be heard in the distance. Raditz stared out the kitchen window, watching the grey clouds roll by. It almost seemed ironic to him that he died on a day with perfect weather, yet when he was brought back to life the weather was miserable. He could barely make out the large trees that surrounded the yard because of the rain. Planet Vegeta had been void of trees do to its dessert climate. It was something Raditz always disliked about his home planet.

"So… where's your brat?" He asked, wanting to break the silence so that he wouldn't have to think about his past life.

Mentally he swore at himself when his brother tensed beside him and stayed silent before answering.

"Chi-Chi left three months ago… she took Gohan and Goten with her."

"I take it that this Chi-Chi was your mate?"

"No, humans can't be bounded as a mate but she was my wife for many years. I guess she just got tired of being with me." Kakarot didn't meet his eyes while he spoke, and his tone held so much regret that Raditz knew he had picked exactly the wrong question to ask. "Would you be alright finishing up in here while I take my shower now?"

"Yeah… take as much time as you need."

"Thanks Raditz… I really do hope you like it here."

"So far I do." He was thankful that Kakarot smiled.

"Good... I'm glad."

He then left for his shower while Raditz finished the dishes. Even though Kakarot had left the room, he could still feel the heavy weight of sadness in house. He finally had his answer on why Kakarot would resurrect him; the earthen Saiyan was desperate for family after his left. Well, this was his second chance, maybe this time he would be a proper brother, instead of a hostile stranger who made threats and demands. He finished the dishes easily and wiped down the table before he settled down on the couch in the living room, a book in his hand from the book shelf in the hallway. If he was to live in the house he figured that he should make himself comfortable. The book was only slightly entertaining, with the thinly laid plot stretching itself out and the characters constant whining, Raditz soon found himself dozing off. It would be half an hour later when Kakarot tapped him on the shoulder.

"Come on I think it's time to go to bed." He laughed before leading Raditz to the bedroom. "Uh I hope its okay to share the bed. The only other rooms are the kids and-"

"It's fine." Raditz cut him off before crawling on to the bed a curling on his side.

Despite his short nap he was still incredibly tired. Kakarot slumped down beside him. He could feel the tension radiating from his brother. Raditz was no fool, at least when it came to other people's behaviour. His brother had spent months alone and now he needed him in the same room, just to make sure that he wasn't alone anymore.

Raditz sighed and rolled over so that one arm was draped over his brothers shoulder, holding the other close.

"Is this comfortable for you Kakarot?" He asked lightly before nuzzling into his hair.

"Umm..." Kakarot rolled over so that he faced Raditz. "Now I am but uh... could you call me Goku? It's the name my adopted Grandpa gave me..." Raditz sighed.

"Kakarot was the name _I_ gave you, and it's the name I prefer to call you."

"You named me?"

"Yes... Father wasn't around to do it."

"Well... I guess it's okay then, call me what ya like."

"What if I call ya a runt for the rest of your life?"

"Eh? Well that's not so okay then."

They both laughed and grabbed the blankets before falling asleep.

**A/N: Well first chapter finished and if you liked it stay tuned for more!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yes I know I started my comic before I updated this fic but here's your chapter, hope you all enjoy.**

When Raditz woke the next morning it seemed as if his mind was caged in a fog of confusion. He sat up slowly, carefully rolling away from the back that was pressed against his own before making his way to the bathroom for a quiet shower. He twisted the taps to the right temperature and undressed himself. The water cascaded down his back as he stepped inside and he hoped that the warm water would unwind the tight knot of dread that had settled into his gut. He had dreamed last night, but struggled to remember what it contained. He had been back on Frieza's ship and... something had happened to him. Something terrible. Raditz clenched his teeth as he tried to concentrate. It was a loss, he had lost something… no, someone. A painful throbbing began to form in his temple. That someone… had it been the Prince? No… that someone had been… his-

Raditz groaned as the throbbing turned into an overwhelming sharp pain that flooded all his senses. His back slammed against the shower wall behind him as the pain caused him to lose his balance. Faintly he felt blood dripping down from his nose but his limbs felt too heavy to lift. Even something as simple as breathing was becoming a laborious effort and he slowly slid himself down the wall to rest at the bottom of the tub.

'Damn.' He thought. 'What the hell brought that one on?'

Finally after a long while of waiting in the steadily running water he was able to take a deep satisfying breath instead of the short hyperventilation's of before. The memories drifted back into his subconscious but Raditz was glad to let them go, at least for now while his body had such a terrible reaction to them.

The long haired Saiyan stood up slowly, his legs still shaky from before. His tense muscles began to relax as he soaked into the warm water. Lightly he swayed his tail back and forth as he stretched and washed. Soon he finished his shower and began to dry off, paying special attention his hair so that it didn't tangle together. He then wrapped a towel around his waste and walked back to the bedroom where his brother still slept. After shuffling through the closet he managed to find a pair of tight fitting jeans, a red sleeveless shirt, and a black baggy sweater. He dressed himself as quietly as possible before retreating back to the kitchen. All that remained in the kitchen would barely make a snack for a Saiyan child. Raditz rolled his eyes and shut the fridge door. He really didn't feel like hunting first thing in the morning but it was better than staying hungry.

He left the house as quietly as he dressed and took off as soon as the door clicked shut. The sun was just rising over the mountains, Raditz couldn't remember the last time he had woken up so early in the morning.

The suns rays shone golden hues onto the silvery mists of the mountains and forest. Not a sound could be heard as no creature was awake to make it. Raditz marvelled that such a sight wasn't cherished, and instead passed by without notice. I then flew passed the mountains to a small savannah where he found and killed two large fat flightless birds before heading home, plucking the feathers off as he went.

When he landed in house backyard he hauled both beasts over one shoulder and was pleased to find that a roasting pit had already been built in the centre of the yard. He built up a good size fire before butchering the two birds and setting them over the flames. Raditz then went inside and washed the gore from his hands and arms in the kitchen sink. Thankfully none of the mess hand got on his clothing. He doubted he would be able to find another pair to fit him from Kakarot's wardrobe. Something blue caught his eye and he looked down at the window sill; A small bouquet of flowers, with light blue petals contrasting nicely with the red glass bowl that held them. The flowers were dried, preserved looking, Raditz decided to leave them alone.

He checked on the birds before deciding to explore the house, starting with the living room. At least he would have, if he didn't find his brother curled on the couch with his back facing him. Raditz carefully walked over towards him and ran a hand through the others hair only for him to pull away and sit up suddenly.

"Y-you're back!" Kakarot almost shouted.

"Of course I'm back what did ya thin-" Raditz tried to snap back but was cut off as he was yanked down into a bone crushing hug.

"Please don't go, don't go, don't go! I'll do what ever you want! Just stay okay! I-I'll wake up earlier! I can-"

"Kakarot calm down-" Raditz tried to speak over him before finally grabbing his wrists and forcing his brother to look him in the eye. "I am not leaving so _calm down_."

Kakarot sniffled, and Raditz was surprised to see that tears running from his little brothers eyes. Never had he seen a Saiyan cry so easily, he hoped such behaviour wasn't contagious. He wiped a tear away with the pad of his thumb before resting his forehead against the others.

"Better now?" He asked.

"Y-yeah…" The younger Saiyan answered shakily before sniffling a second time.

Raditz let go of his wrists and pet the others hair in comfort. The crying was not a normal reaction, or at least he had never seen such a reaction to someone missing for a few minutes. He wondered if it was normal for earthlings… time to ask some awkward questions… great.

"Kakarot… have you always cried like this when some one leaves?"

"N-no."

"Did it start when your wife left?" He didn't answer. "I know you don't want to talk about it Kakarot but it needs to be done. Now yesterday you said that humans can't be bonded as mates, does that mean that you tried?" It was a long time before Kakarot answered him.

"Chi-Chi and I had been drifting apart for a long time…. She just, it was like I didn't fit her perfect image or something. And I guess she got sick of me not being her perfect image."

"I'm… very sorry to hear that Kakarot"

"Yeah, so am I" He then flopped back down on the couch and curled himself back into the ball.

"Hey, I'm not done talking to you." Raditz said as he curled around his brother.

"G-get off."

"Hmm no I think I'll stay." He purred in Kakarot's ear before brushing his tail against his thigh.

"R-Raditz!" The young Saiyan yelled before scrambling away. "Brothers don't do stuff like that!"

Raditz couldn't help but laugh loudly.

"Maybe for humans but with Saiyan's you're fair game!" Kakarot then had to roll away as his brother pounced.

"Th-this isn't funny!"

"I'm not joking around." Raditz pounced again, this time tackling his brother off the couch and successfully pinning him to the floor while straddling his thin hips. "Tell me Kakarot, how is that the last time we met you were able to put up a fight yet now you can't even push me off?"

"I-I don't know!" Kakarot sniffled and Raditz frowned.

"Kakarot… there's no need to be upset."

"Yes there is!" Raditz sighed and slid to the floor so that he was kneeling beside the other Saiyan.

"Listen, I'm not forcing you into anything I was just teasing."

"Well you said you weren't joking…"

"That's because I was partially serious."

"How can you be partially serious!"

"Simple, it depended if you were gonna give in or not." Kakarot glared up at his brother. "Hey it's not my fault you're such a prude!"

"And it's not my fault that you got so touchy feely all of a sudden!"

"Whatever, I'm going to make breakfast. You can stop your snivelling during that time." Raditz huffed before stalking off to the kitchen.

"Wait, Raditz!" Kakarot whined as he followed. "I'm sorry I made you angry."

"I'm not angry, I'm annoyed!"

"O-okay… is there some way I can help with breakfast?"

"Check on the birds outside, I left them roasting."

"Sounds good!"

Raditz shook his head in distaste. His brother acted too… giddy sometimes, not Saiyan like at all. If only his brother hadn't cracked his head open as a child then things would have been different, much different. Though he had to admit that things had not ended up to badly, his brother was strong, much stronger than he could have hoped for. And when it came to Saiyans, it was the strength that mattered most.

"Birds are cooked!" Kakarot cheered gleefully as he scampered back into the kitchen.

"Alright bring them in then."

"'Kay."

Had the planet Vegeta not been destroyed Kakarot would have made it to the status of elite, much like their Father. Raditz gripped the counter top as another wave of dizziness almost knocked him over. He growled in agitation, something was blocking his memories. Every time he tried to recall something he would feel sick to his stomach.

"Hey Raditz… are you feeling okay? You look kinda woozy." Kakarot said.

"No, you eat breakfast. I'm just going to lay back down for awhile."

"Are you sure?" I can save you some if you want."

"I'm positive, I just need some rest and I'll be fine."

Raditz then climbed back up the stairs to the bedroom, thankful that he could flop back down onto the soft spring mattress. He yawned, cringing as his headache rolled another wave of nausea through him. Something was wrong, obviously, but damn if he knew what it was. All he knew was that the headache was getting worse. The throbbing seemed to now come from the very centre of his head, echoing out like a clap of thunder.

The Saiyan sighed and curled under the blanket, lying still for nearly an hour before the door opened. Raditz didn't move, he simply tried to ignore the noise his brother was making. He almost growled when he felt the blanket being pulled so that it didn't cover his head but stopped himself when he felt the other tucking the blanket in around him. He grinned, slipping his tail from beneath the fabric and tickled his brother side. Kakarot yelped and fell of the bed in surprise, giggling uncontrollably before peeking over the edge and pouncing on his older brother. The wrestled for a full five minutes before Raditz finally pinned the younger Saiyan down to the bed. Kakarot glared up at him

"Now really Kakarot it's as if you want me to be as you put it 'touchy feely'."

"No I don't! I was bored and you started it!"

"Well then maybe I should end it to." He purred while reaching for the others tail.

"Hey wait don't-"

But Raditz had already swiped his tongue across the end of the furry appendage. Kakarot yelped and shivered. He had expected pain, that all his tail was. But as Raditz mouthed his tail he felt no pain what so ever. Instead a pulsing tingling of pleasure raced up and down his spine and spread to the rest of his body. He squirmed hopelessly, trying to push his brother off but only managed to somehow get his legs tangled in the blankets.

"P-please just stop." He managed to gasp out before biting his lip.

And then it was gone, the hold on his tail slipping away soundlessly but the shivers still remained. He tucked the tail under himself and stared up at Raditz with disdain. The larger Saiyan laughed before ruffling his younger brother's hair.

"Even if you didn't want it, you still liked it." He teased before Kakarot threw a pillow in his face.

"You're only supposed to do that stuff when I want it!"

"Well when you want it I'm right here." Raditz yawned before rolling to the edge of the bed and sitting up.

Kakarot sat beside him hesitantly nibbling on his bottom lip for awhile before speaking.

"S-so it's normal for Saiyan guys to do stuff like that?"

"Yeah, don't tell me that earthlings are prude about that to." Kakarot stayed silent. "I'm not looking forward to meeting any humans."

"I don't think they all don't like it it's just… most I think. I never really asked."

"But you've thought about it?" He nodded. "Never talked about it?"

"No-one else did so I kept quiet."

"So I guess asking if you ever experimented with another man would be a pointless question." Raditz affirmed with a roll of his eyes, missing the small blush that stained his brothers cheeks. "Listen as long as you want me living here I want no secrets okay? You talk about whatever the hell you want and I'll try to listen."

"But what if you think I'm just rambling on and you stop listening and-"

"Then hit me because it's pretty obvious that you weren't able to speak your mind while you were married."

Kakarot bit his lip again but said nothing further, only rested his head against his brother's shoulder. Raditz sighed before intertwining his tail with the younger Saiyan's and wrapping an arm around his shoulders to hold him close. A gesture of comfort and nothing more. It was clear to Raditz now that his brother wasn't ready for such things at the moment, and if he pushed his brother too hard the Saiyan might break with his fragile state of mind.

"What are Saiyan marriages like Raditz?"

"Well for humans the joining is done with a ring, for us we only wear jewellery to signify that we are taken by another and it's not uncommon to have more than partner as long as all involved in the relationship agree. Then after the partnership two Saiyan's in the group partnership choose each other to spend the rest of their life with and they are then known as mates. After a long while as Mates Saiyan's can choose to bond so that they will be come bonded mates. This isn't like the humans marriage, this is an actual bonding of Ki energy and soul, so that you will never be separated. Even in the after life. S there you have it, the three stages of Bounding, First Partnership, Second is the claiming of Mates, and Third is Bonding."

"But what if it doesn't work out for them?"

"To be honest very few Saiyan's take the final step of bonding. See even you have a great relationship with your mate, it only takes one of the Mates to be unsure of the bond for the whole process to fall apart."

"So it's kind of like fusion where both peoples energy have to be at the same level and wave length."

"Yes…" Raditz agreed with the concept, though he didn't have a clue what Kakarot meant by fusion.

"Is your headache gone?"

"Yeah for the most part."

"I'll go make you something to eat then."

Before Raditz could protest his brother had scampered out of the room and the elder Saiyan could do nothing but flop back down against the bed and give an exaggerated huff, his tail twitching in agitation beside him. Within five minutes Kakarot was back with a large sandwich on a plate and a glass of orange juice.

"I didn't know what you would want so I hope this will be okay."

"It's fine Kakarot" Raditz grumbled while taking the sandwich in hand.

Kakarot watched his brother eat. He only took slow bites followed by hard swallows.

"Does it taste okay?"

"Yes."

"Then you're still not feeling well." Kakarot concluded with a pout. "I think I can bring you to Bulma, she's smart so she'll figure out how to make you better."

"Maybe… right now I just want to sleep."

"Okay." Kakarot agreed while taking the now empty plate and glass from Raditz while the Saiyan curled under the covers.

Within a minute he was snoring and the younger brother left the room without a sound.

**A/N: Because the real action in the fic hasn't started yet this chapter was fairly short but I intend for the next one to be much longer. And if you're wondering about the comic I mentioned earlier it's a Vegeta/Tarble under my deviantart and my y-gallery accounts under the same username.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry it took a bit to get this chapter out but I am trying to write faster. Unfortunately my family is in a real tough spot right now and I need to take care of things before I work on my stories. I'm hoping this rough spot only last a week or two but we will see. Fanfics are not on an official Hiatus because I will work on them a bit but its gonna be slow paced bit.**

Kakkarot watched Raditz sleep. The older Saiyan still seemed tense, even in sleep. Occasionally he would grit his teeth or his hands would clench a fistful of blanket. Lightly he brushed some hair out of the older Saiyan face and kissed him on the forehead before jerking backwards. A small whimper slipped passed his trembling lips. He regretted that kiss before it even happened, yet he couldn't stop himself from doing it. Kakkarot gulped, feeling his throat tighten. He wanted to be close to the other, to run his fingers through that long mane of hair. To feel his breath mingle with the others as they kept close, arms around each other. The younger Saiyan blushed knowing such wishes were juvenile and that the elder would not feel as satisfied as him with just being held. He sighed and shook his head to clear his head. The main reason he had gone back into the bedroom was to contemplate whether bringing his brother to Bulma's was such a good idea. After all Raditz hadn't been happy when he had mentioned Vegeta before… it didn't seem right to force the two to see each other again. Then there was the question of if Bulma was even willing to help his brother. She would probably just be angry that he wished Raditz back to life.

He shivered suddenly feeling cold and curled up next to his brother underneath the blanket. Instinctively his brother made room to accommodate the other and Kakkarot nestled in closer. His tail twitching impatiently in front of him and the younger Saiyan frowned. It seemed that even his tail wouldn't be content with simply being close to the other. Slowly he reached out and grabbed it, wincing as from his too tight grip. Lightly he grazed his thumb over the tip, biting his lip as he remembered the way his brother had sent electric shocks of pleasure up his spine. He squirmed, feeling a familiar heat pool in his neither region. Kakkarot panicked, throwing his tail back behind him and curling in a ball. It wasn't proper for him to tease himself, especially with something as abnormal as his tail. Raditz may have been fine with it but Chi-Chi had screamed at him enough times for him to know that no-one on earth would approve.

His lip trembled. No, despite saving the earth many times he failed as a husband because he wasn't a 'proper' adult. Kakkarot bit his lip so hard it bled but still couldn't help the tears that spilled over his cheeks. For years he just wished he wouldn't have to hear her yelling anymore, but now the silence in the house only mocked him. He missed Goten's chatter, the young child always bouncing with energy; Gohan's quiet manner but the rustling of book pages or the scratching of a pencil could always be heard as the teenager worked… it was all gone now. Not only had he failed as a husband but he had failed as a father.

Suddenly the blanket was whisked away from him and he clenched his eyes shut, afraid to see his brothers face. The Saiyan wouldn't be happy that the younger was blubbering again. He'd probably hit him, that's what people did when they were frustrated. He curled himself more tightly into the ball, preparing for the inevitable blow. It never came. Instead he felt himself being lifted onto the others lap, arms holding him close to the others chest, a strong heart beat drummed in his ear as fingers lightly ran through his hair. A shaky breath slipped past his lips, releasing some of his panic. He knew he shouldn't enjoy being held so much. After all it was supposed to be his job to comfort people, to protect them, to be the strongest… he could never show them weakness, it would only bring them fear. He shook and Raditz held him tighter. Kakkarot nuzzled closer, inhaling the others scent. He shivered at the distinct smell of mountain air and sandal wood emanating from the Saiyan's skin. It was a long time before he could finally calm himself down enough to speak.

"I-I'm sorry… you were trying to sleep." Raditz rolled his eyes.

"Don't be sorry, you can't help yourself right now." Kakkarot shook his head in response before nuzzling back into the elder Saiyan. "Everything's going to feel muddled for awhile but you'll be fine."

"If you say so…"

"I do say so, now since I'm up what should we do?"

"Well… you do need some clothes. Guess we're going shopping!" He laughed suddenly with nervousness.

"…This means I have to be around humans doesn't it?"

"Yep!"

"Fine." Raditz grumbled.

He never liked interacting with planet locals, he had always preferred observation or the usual hostile take-over routine. But he had already agreed and had no chance to voice his change of mind as his brother lead him downstairs to where the money was kept in a small office. Raditz sneezed from the dust in the room. Metal filing cabinets lined on wall with a desk at the far end of the room. The room itself was narrow and dark. Papers seemed to cover every surface. He tried to ignore it, following Kakkarot over to the desk. There lay a heap of envelopes.

"What are those?" Raditz inquired while picking one up.

"O-oh those are… bills."

"Hn." He didn't recognize the term and put the envelope back down.

"What are they for?"

"Well they're what you pay for using electricity and water and stuff."

"They're living expenses then?"

"Yeah."

"Then why are they piled up like this?" He snapped while grabbing the whole pile and shuffling through each of them. "Kakkarot most of these are final notices stating you're to be cut off next week!

"I-I know." The younger Saiyan murmured.

"Then why haven't they been paid! You can't just read these and leave them! You must have some form of currency here."

Quietly Kakkarot slid open a door a pulled out a small pouch and handed it to Raditz. Inside was a roll of cash and Raditz counted it quickly. There wasn't even enough pay a tenth of the first bill his brother owed. Raditz sighed, finally meeting looking at the others face as he handed the pouch back to him. To say the other was embarrassed was an understatement, his face was pale with shame and his eyes darted everywhere but to towards the other person in the room.

"Kakkarot… this isn't good."

"I-I don't know how to fix it."

"You were never taught properly." He shook his head in distaste. "We somewhat had system like this back on Frieza's ship." He explained, feeling another headache forming. "We had to make a certain amount of profit or necessity's started to be taken away. What we need to do right now is find a way to get more cash to pay these off. You must have some sort of currency storage facility on this planet."

"It's called a bank."

"Alright, so we'll simply swoop in and empty them of it and then-"

"What! No, we're not stealing!" Kakkarot shouted with such distaste that all Raditz could do was glare.

"Fine then… but how do you suppose we buy clothes with no income?" The younger Saiyan fixed his eyes towards the floor, he had no answer. "Exactly."

"I can go in another martial arts competition. Sometimes they give cash prizes!" Raditz sighed but chose to let it go, his brother was in no shape to fight right now. "So lets get you some clothes now okay Raditz?"

The elder Saiyan rolled his eyes and followed his brother out the front door. He'd have to find a way of his own to make a profit. They took into the air heading west. Without warning Kakkarot fell from the sky. Raditz dived, catching the other around the waist before flying on.

"S-sorry I just lost flight."

"I noticed. Just point me in the right direction so that we get you there in one piece." The younger Saiyan smiled.

Soon they reached a shopping center, landing quickly behind a sign so that no one would see them flying. Raditz frowned as they walked. The streets were packed with humans, their children and pets. The stink of machine exhaust almost choked him and he was almost grateful when they walked inside the large glass building before he caught the reek of perfume. 'No wonder Kakkarot lives in the middle of nowhere.' He though while spying at some of the fashions that dressed the mannequins. Like hell was he wearing that crap. Instead he let Kakkarot lead him to one of the upper floors, amusing himself by seeing how many wallets he could slip from peoples pockets. Eventually they reached a small shop that had modest clothing.

"Here Raditz, what colors do you like?"

"I don't know as long as it isn't stupid looking I'll wear it." He shrugged.

"Um okay so uh… how about you try on these?" Kakkarot held up a few pairs of pants. " And I can find you some shirts since we seem to share the same size there. Change rooms are in the back."

A store clerk let him into one and quickly tried on the clothes before searching through the wallets he had collected. Satisfied with the cash he collected he turned his focus back at the pants. Most had been to short in the leg but one pair of jeans fit and made a mental note to remember the measurements. He dressed back in the pants he had dressed himself in that morning before leaving the rest in the change room to search for his brother who was bound to have a shirt for him.

"Find anything yet?" Raditz asked as he found his brother searching through a pile of tank tops.

"I think so." He replied before looking up. "Raditz! Y-you can't leave your shirt in the change room!" Kakkarot yelped with a red blush staining his face, Raditz grinned.

"And why not? That blush of yours says you don't mind." He quipped with a wink.

The younger Saiyan huffed and turned away making his brother laugh. Raditz fetched his shirt from the change room and grabbed a few more pairs of pants before paying at the till with the cash from the wallets. Kakkarot wouldn't stop glaring at the taller Saiyan as they left the store. Raditz was able to ignore him for a full two minutes that took them to get outside where they landed before snapping.

"What's your problem brat?"

"Where did you get that money when I have the money from the house?"

"Hmph, humans need to learn how to guard their pockets." He heard the other growl before he felt his brother grabbed him by the collar.

"Now you listen Raditz and you listen good, if you want to stay on earth you have to behave or I'll make you behave." Kakkarot spat before shoving his brother away.

The threat only made Raditz grin.

"Well Kakkarot that's the most Saiyan thing I've heard you say."

The younger Saiyan gulped as if he just realized what he'd done.

"I-I'm just going to go home now." And with that said Kakkarot took into the air.

Raditz laughed but chose not to follow. Instead he chose to wander the streets. Humans rushed by taking little notice of him. Raditz was almost offended by this. Usually his appearance gained him some looks but the human's merely passed by without so much as a second glance. It seemed that everyone was to absorbed in their own thoughts to notice. The tall Saiyan huffed. He hadn't felt this ignored since Frieza's ship but even then he could here whispers behind his back. Now it was just a bunch of mindless chatter made people who were to absorbed in their shopping escapades or in what the opposite sex thought of them. Annoyed Raditz walked a little faster, stumbling on a part of the city that definitely looked worse for wear. Garbage littered the sidewalk, shady characters hung around in the doorways and alleyways. A stench hung in the air and Raditz didn't want to even begin to think what the smell was coming from.

He kept walking until a large paper stapled to a telephone caught his eye, or more specifically the ten thousand Zenie reward the paper had written on it. Raditz carelessly tore the paper from it's staples for a closer read. A criminal by the name of Snik was wanted for several armed robberies and was a current suspect in two child abduction. The Saiyan grit his teeth as he felt a painful throb in his temple. Stealing didn't bother him, but Raditz had always had a sore spot for kids. He studied the picture closely, memorizing every detail of the mans face as well as the faces of the men he was associated with. Then he took flight, folding the paper into his back pocket. The sky was turning dark when Raditz landed in front of a seedy bar that reeked of blood and drugs. He walked inside smelling alcohol and sweat in the air. The female entertainment danced on tables while the men drank, smoked, and drooled. He sneered, even when he took over planets for Frieza he wouldn't hang out with the trash that seemed fester inside the bars atmosphere. Raditz sat down in the far corner, scanning the room with his eyes. No criminals seemed to be seated in the room, only drunken idiots. The Saiyan grinned as the back doors banged open and one of Snik's associates walked through the door trailing behind a bigger man with two men hang off his arms.

To Raditz, Snik's associate resembled a drowned rat with his prominent cheek bones, sunken eyes, and swallow skin. The rat followed the larger man to the bar, staring at his feet. Raditz took one more look around the bar to make sure that everyone else was distracted before he got up. In one swoop he had his hand clasped over the rats mouth and had stepped out the door before anyone realized what happened and Raditz took into the air. The rat struggled uselessly against his grip until Raditz dropped him in a back alley way.

"Wha- what the hell are you!" The rat screamed as Raditz advanced, cracking his knuckles.

"It doesn't matter what I am, what matters here is that you tell me where Snik is hiding." He warned before slamming his fist into the wall above the rats head.

Plaster rained upon the scrawny mans head whose eyes darted around for an escape.

"I-I don't know anything!" He shrieked and Raditz glared before swiftly kicking him in the ribs, hearing a satisfying crack as he did so.

"Lie to me again and I'm breaking your legs."

"P-please he'll kill me!" He cried, Raditz rolled his eyes expecting that answer.

"If you tell me where Snik is he won't even have the chance to touch you."

The scrawny man sniffled before looking up at his attacker and holding out his hand.

"M-my names Eugene." Raditz stared down at Eugene before reluctantly shaking his hand.

"Well Eugene are you going to tell me where Snik is or not?"

"I-I will but you gotta know he has some kids with him now, he'll hurt 'em if he thinks something's up."

"Yeah I know."

"I-I ran out of the place when I saw 'em bring in the kids I –"

"When did you run out?"

"T-two days ago."

"Good," Raditz then grabbed Eugene by the back of his jean jacket and took into the air high above the buildings. "Now tell me where that is."

Eugene did the smart thing, telling Raditz exactly where the building was on the edge of the city, even letting him know which doors were guarded.

"A-are you sure you can catch 'em?" Eugene asked as Raditz landed on top of a nearby skyscraper that looked down on Snik's hideout.

"Yeah but first where do you think they're keeping the kids?"

"One of the top floors… I think around the back on the very top floor. The fire escape doesn't reach there so the kids can't climb out."

"Alright you stay put." Raditz said, ready to take off again.

"W-wait!"

"What?"

"Snik's going to be on the same floor, near the fire escape but he'll be able to shoot from his room into the kids." Raditz rolled his eyes again.

"Bullets aren't a problem."

Raditz then flew over to the other buildings towards the back. He could see where the fire escape ended and looked through the windows carefully as to not be spotted. After a few minutes of searching he found them. The two kids were being kept in an empty room. Rough ropes kept them tied like leashes to an empty bed frame. Silently Raditz slid the window open and crept inside. The children, two young boys were fast asleep. Raditz used a small bit of Ki to cut through the rope being very careful not to wake the children. He then cared them both out of the building, thankful that there wasn't a large difference in the rooms temperature from outside. That bit of comfort didn't last long as Raditz realized that the lack of heat had probably made the boys sick. He left the boys on a covered roof top before flying back to Snik's hideout. He found another window closer to where Eugene had said Snik was hiding. Inside he found a large doorway with two guards stationed on either side. Before either of them could raise their guns Raditz punched them both on the opposite sides of the head, both men colliding in the middle before crumpling to the floor. Without a pause he shoved the door open.

"What the hell I didn't authorize any visitors!" Someone yelled and Raditz turned to see Snik sitting at a large desk.

"No you didn't, but don't worry I'll make this visit quick."

The Saiyan walked closer and Snik pulled a pistol from a desk drawer firing three shots at the taller mans head. Raditz caught them all, dropping the bullets to the floor before throwing the desk behind him to block the door.

"W-who are you?" Snik asked, cowering in his chair.

"I'm the one who's getting the money for your arrest."

Raditz then slammed his fist on the top of the short mans head, knocking him out instantly. He heard someone banging on the door but he ignored it and instead grabbed Snik by one of his ankles and flew out the nearest window, shattered glass raining down to the street below. Raditz then picked up the kids from the near by roof top, both boys were still fast asleep. It didn't surprise Raditz that Eugene was no where to be found and Raditz let him go. Frankly he didn't care about the rat and he had enough people to care already. He flew to the largest police station in the city, not surprised when all officers on site pointed their guns in his direction.

"H-hands up!" One of them yelled, who Raditz assumed was the leader.

"Alright before you get hasty let me just say that I got a criminal you'll want in custody and two kids who need to be returned to their parents." For a moment all noise seemed to stop before a burst of chatter erupted.

"Which criminal?" The leader yelled again.

"The one named Snik!" He yelled back before dropping the man to the ground.

The police officers seemed to argue among themselves before sending one out. Raditz sized him up before smirking. He was short and plump, curly brown hair and nervous green eyes behind round glasses. Quickly the officer inspected Snik crumpled form before looking up at Raditz both with fear and respect.

"It's… it's actually Snik." The officer managed to stutter out before turning to the rest of the police force. "Chief it's actually him!" He yelled.

Other officers soon gathered before making way for the chief. The chief scratched his head in bewilderment. First he looked at Snik, then at Raditz, and then at the two children Raditz held. Slowly he took a folded paper from his wallet, identical to the one in Raditz back pocket. The chief compared the picture to the man crumpled on the ground. He sighed then scratched his head before looking up at Raditz.

"Erm, if you follow Douglas here he'll lead you to fill out the papers so that you can have your bounty."

Raditz grinned before following Douglas inside to one of the Police Departments back offices where he had to read and fill out a small stack of papers.

"Oh and uh if you have time…" The officer trailed off and handed Raditz another stack of papers. "They need catching to."

"I'll think about." Raditz grumbled, not making any promises but knowing he probably would.

He then watched as Douglas unlocked a safe under his desk and started piling wads of cash in front of him.

"Alright, that should do it right there." He finished before adjusting his hat.

"Do you have a bag I could carry it in?"

"Uh yeah." He handed him a small duffle bag. "And um, well I wasn't supposed to hand you that stack of papers there but in all honesty there's just too much going on for us to catch 'em up. We get called out for domesticate disputes, like when the abusive ex-husband shows up at the family home; or when someone decides that suicide's the only answer to their problems. That's what we're trained for, to get out there right away and help. If we focused on the guys in the posters then we wouldn't be able to help them, cases like that take too much time and too much manpower that we don't have. So if you can catch a few more you'll be the city's hero, plain and simple."

"What if I don't want to be a hero?"

"Then we could keep it secret; here" He handed Raditz a cell phone. "I can get a new phone later but for now use mine, when I get the new phone I'll call you and we'll trade. That way we can arrange for criminal drop offs instead of landing in front of the station."

"Alright, if you're really that desperate."

"It's beyond desperation, if you need anything else I'll get it for you."

"Sounds good."

Raditz the left, not sure if his situation really counted as having a job but decided it didn't matter. He was carrying a duffle bag filled with enough cash to pay for his brother's bills and more. He only hoped the other wasn't too miffed with how late he was coming home.

**A/N: Yes, yes the flow of the story is off but I really wanted to include Raditz's "job" instead of it being Goku asking where the money came from and Raditz mentioning it in. Better to show than to tell! Well, take care everyone I'll write in a bit.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Well it's a long time since I've been able to update this fic. I ended up moving and then sharing a one bedroom with my mother and sister for over a month so getting anything done was difficult. Now this chapter is a bit short so I'll be working on another Chapter soon. I'm going to finish writing a fic for my friend and then I'm writing Chapter 5 instead of working on Quirk. I started and finished this chapter in one weekend so I'm hoping to keeping up the pace!**

Raditz landed in front of his brother's house knowing the other would be less than happy to see him. The sky was already dark when he landed, light shone through the glass of the front door onto the grass in front of him. A breeze blew by and Raditz suddenly remembered just how cold his flight had been on the way back home. He hoisted the duffel bag strap up his should before opening the door. Part of him expected his brother to be right in the entryway, ready to give him hell for taking off for so long. But that wasn't the case, in fact the house was completely silent. He took of his boots before walking through the house, all the lights were still on which made him frown until finally finding his brother in the living room. Kakarot sat on the couch with a large blanket covering him, looking at Raditz with sad eyes.

"You're home..." Kakarot murmured, his voice echoing through the small room.

"Yes..." Raditz echoed back.

The situation was decidedly awkward. Raditz could feel his tail bristle as his brother stared at him. If the little brat was trying to guilt trip into apologizing it wasn't going to work! No matter how long he stared up him like a lost kicked puppy... His absence hadn't hurt the younger Saiyan that much had it?

"Raditz... I-I know you don't really like earth and it's... a lot different from what you're used to b-but it's going to get easier. I-I'm not entirely used to it either... s-so to make it easier, you- you can do what you want w-with me."

Kakarot then stood, letting the blanket fall behind him on the couch. For a moment Raditz could only stare, his brother stood in front of him completely naked. His pale skin had taken a peach like tone with the light of lamp sitting on the coffee table, the only source of light in the living room. Even in the dim lighting Raditz could see the red blush that tinted Kakarot's face, the toned muscle that lined his framed. Raditz couldn't help but lick his lips. He let the duffel bag slide from his shoulder and fall on the floor before walking towards his brother. Raditz wrapped his arms around the others waist, pulling him close so that they were pressed together. He growled in appreciation as he inhaled the other's scent, running his fingers through the other hair before tipping the younger's head back. Then he kissed him fully, coaxing his tongue into play with his own.

Even as the younger moaned into the kiss Raditz could feel him shaking under his touch. Raditz lied back down on the couch, pulling Kakarot on top him and sliding the blanket over the other's naked form.

"Kakarot, you and I both know that you're not ready for that." Raditz sighed, resting a hand atop the other's head.

"B-but I... I like when you hold me a-and the kiss felt really good so if you need-"

"What _I_ need Kakarot is for you to want those things from me on your _own_ terms."

"But-"

"No buts, I only do it if you want it and I'm not budging on it." Kakarot seemed to pout for a moment but didn't say more. "And if you really want to know, I prefer my partners to one hundred percent willing otherwise it's not all that enjoyable for me."

"O-oh... I'm sorry I-I'll try to want-"

"You don't have to try anything Kakarot, besides I plan on staying so take your time because there's plenty of it." Kakarot sat up suddenly, eyes shining.

"You are staying!"

"Yea-" He was caught off guard when Kakarot lifted him by the front of his shirt and kissed him hard before breaking away.

"S-sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about." Raditz grinned pulling the other down to lay back on top of him. "Kiss me as much as I like and who knows, " He purred. "You might get addicted."

Kakarot blushed but said nothing, he simply grabbed the remote and turned on the t.v. Raditz let him be, content that the other was not too angry with him. Instead he pet his brothers hair lazily until the other purred. The purring stopped abruptly, confusing Raditz until he looked at what Kakarot was watching on the t.v.

"_Well known Criminal and crime gang leader known only as 'Snik' was captured today by an unknown vigilantly that one witness said flew away from the police department after delivering the Criminal to police.."._

Raditz turned away from the t.v as the footage switched from the news caster to a woman who relayed his description.

"Raditz... where were before coming here?"

"Getting reward money for catching the guy on t.v." He replied nonchalantly, grinning as Kakarot stared up at him.

"You get money for doing that?"

"Yes, plenty of it too."

Kakarot's eyes widened as he grinned brightly, hugging his brother tightly.

"Raditz you're amazing! We- we won't lose the house now." A few tears clung to the corners of his eyes. "H-how many more criminals should we catch?"

"Well currently we now have enough money to pay all your bills, yes all, plus enough left over to stock your fridge and get you some more clothes.

Another kiss landed on Raditz lips and he smiled at his brothers enthusiasm. He felt the tip of the other's tongue tease his lips and he opened his mouth to allow Kakarot to explore. It was along time before Kakarot broke away, blushing.

"I'm kinda tired." He then yawned and Raditz chuckled.

"Well then do you want to go upstairs or do you want to stay here?"

"Here." He murmured before falling asleep with his head lying just under Raditz's collar bone.

Raditz sighed, curling his tail around the other's waist before following the other into slumber.

It was quiet as Raditz walked through the hallway of Frieza's ship, his muscles tensing and eyes darting. Things were never good when it was quiet. He was on his way to the ship infirmary after completing a mission... something was wrong. A noise made him whip around and scan his surroundings, nothing. The damn ship was driving him insane. He turned to continue walking, when he was hit from behind and knocked unconscious.

Raditz woke in a sweat, hastily pushing Kakarot aside so that he get up. He only manged to stumble off the couch before falling on his hands and knees and retching on the floor. It felt like his brain a broke lose and was spinning loose inside his skull.

"R-Raditz!" Great, he had woken Kakarot up.

Raditz barely managed a groan of acknowledgement before retching again. Blood dripped from his nose to join the mess. 'Damn I think this is i-' Raditz didn't finish the thought, instead he passed out.

"Raditz!" Kakarot yelled, catching his brother before he collapsed on the floor.

Seeing his brother pass out he was quick to carry him up to the bedroom and lay him on the bed before running and grabbing a cloth, run it under cold water, and bring it back to the bedroom to put on his brother's forehead. Raditz breathing was rough, laboured, as if he was fighting for each gasp of air. That as it, Goku realized and got dressed, if Vegeta gave them trouble well then so be it, Raditz took priority over the short Saiyan's mood. He sensed out Bulma's energy signature and Vegeta's, glad when they were far enough away to be in separate rooms. He then picked up Raditz, awkwardly holding him over his shoulder before teleporting with instant transmission.

Bulma sighed before taking another drag on her cigarette, she had pouring over the latest diagram's for hours, making sure the latest capsule model was perfect. She stretched her eyes closing for only a moment but when she opened, Goku stood in front of her across the table.

"Waaaah!" She yelled in surprise, falling out of her chair. "Don't _do that_!"

"I-I'm sorry but you gotta help him Bulma." She heard her friend whimper, then she finally noticed what and _who_ he was carrying.

"Wha-what the-"

"I'll explain Bulma I promise! But he's really sick and-"

"Okay, okay we'll talk later, just tell me as much as you know about him being sick and follow me."

Goku did as he was told, explaining as much he could as he followed Bulma to another room and laying Raditz on a wheeling table when she asked.

"It's just going to be a minute while I calibrate the x-ray since we usually use it to inspect machinery."

"O-okay."

It was a long while of waiting as Bulma completed her tests, scribbling notes on her notepad. Goku flinched when Bulma swore her eyes locking onto his.

"Goku, I have to call the doctor to help him, there's... something in his head."

"Something... in his head?"

"Yeah, it looks like it was surgically placed there. And it whatever it is it's breaking down."

"B-breaking..."

"I'm calling for our family doctor right now and telling him it's an emergency," She interrupted while pulling a cellphone out of her lab coat pocket. "Nice tail by the way, haven't seen you with one for awhile."

Goku didn't reply, instead he eavesdropped on the phone call, satisfied when the doctor agreed to show up.

"I know it's not easy Goku but... the surgery will take a few hours so it's best if you go lay down for a bit, there's a bedroom just across the hall. I don't expect you to sleep but I'll come get you once the Doctor and I are finished."

"If... that's the only way then I'll go."

Goku sighed and left the room. Bulma was smart, and he knew he could trust her to do her best but he still couldn't shake the fear gnawing at his gut. The room across the hall was small, only containing a bed and nightstand but he didn't pay much attention. Instead he flopped on the bed and curled under the blanket, waiting for Bulma to return.

**A/N: So for those who worried about Raditz headaches you were dead on the bulls eye, stay tuned for the next chapter to see just how right you were for worrying...**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Well I was hoping to have this up sooner... sorry I'm such a slow writer :( At least it's much longer than the previous chapter. You see, what happened is that in my outline Chapter.4 was supposed to fit a LOT of stuff in it but while writing it I realized that it was too much to fit in one chapter so I've split the bulk of it into ch.4 and ch.5 and the rest will be in ch.6.**

**I would also like to take a moment to thank everyone for your reviews! One in particular stated that Ch.4 had been the best so far and that damn near brought tears to my eyes since I had been losing faith in my own writing ability for sometime and that really helped encourage me to keep going. And to another comment, yes my family and I are fine we have just been moving around so much lately and will be moving again at the end of September though that move will be the last one, really sorry if I worried anyone their ^^;**

**Anyways, I'll stop yammering so you can get to the chapter!**

Bulma sighed with exhaustion and wiped the sweat from her forehead onto the back of her sleeve. They had just finished surgery, she only had to make a small incision, just under the hairline with minimal stitches. But the surgery didn't concern her, it was the thing that was lying in the surgical tray, the metal object they had removed from Raditz's brain. The object was curved, slightly crescent shaped to follow the shape of the brain and as flat as sheet metal; which made sense since she had pulled it from between the two main lobes. She remembered touching the thing with her tweezers, and tiny thread like wires retracted into it. Most of the wires came from the Hippocampus though she couldn't figure out why, just as she could not figure out why the damn thing had been in there in the first place.

She sighed, discarding her surgical gloves, the doctor having left moments ago, and got another cup of coffee before going back to a spare room to check on Raditz. The long haired Saiyan was still asleep, having enough sedative in his bloodstream to keep him from waking too soon. She checked his vitals, satisfied that everything was normal. With a little luck Raditz would wake up in an hour, groggy, but otherwise fine. She finished off the last of her coffee before getting another cup.

Bulma could admit that she drank a little too much coffee, to herself at least, but who could blame her with her busy schedule? She grinned to herself, fresh cup of coffee in hand and travelled back to her lab, glancing at the metal object before grabbing a notepad and pen, writing a short list as she walked across the hall to the to the room where Goku resided and pushed open the door. Bulma wasn't surprised when she saw Goku sitting on the window sill, staring up at the crescent moon. His expression seemed blank until she focused on his eyes, two black opals desperately searching the stars for answers.

"Goku..." She flinched as his eyes focused on hers, he looked so miserable. "He's not awake yet, but it's okay to see him."

"Thank you." He murmured and followed her out the door and down the hall to a larger bedroom.

Goku's breath caught in his throat as he saw Raditz lying there, motionless. His hair laid splayed across the pillow, a few stitches along his hairline, his hands quietly lying beside him. If it wasn't for his breathing, Goku would have thought his brother was dead. He walked to the chair beside the bed and sat down before taking his brothers hand in his own. The younger Saiyan then bowed forward, resting his forehead against the back of his brothers hand.

"He'll be awake in and hour okay Goku?" Bulma tried to reassure him, very rarely had she ever seen Goku act like this.

"What will happen to him after he wakes?" Goku asked, his tone grim.

"As far as I can tell he'll be back to normal... the problem is, I don't know what that thing was supposed to do to him... it didn't leave any damage to his brain but.. Goku, did he act differently from when you first met him?"

Goku nodded, many things about Raditz had changed.

"Okay... I probably don't have to ask, but it's best if you keep and eye on him."

"Okay, thanks Bulma." He sighed, looking up briefly to give Bulma a small sad smile.

"Well you know you're always welcome here for help... Oh! And before I forget here's a list of things to keep on hand for your brother to help him recover okay?"

Goku nodded and took the list from Bulma, giving her another small smile when she patted him on the shoulder before she left the room. The room was quiet, the only noise was of Raditz's breathing. He whimpered then, unable to help himself as the tears began to fall. His brother, his only companion with his wife and sons gone was in no state the help him now and it scared him. He didn't want to be alone, he didn't want to be left without guidance. His brother had said there was a failed bond, that Chichi could never be his mate... He whined, thinking of his children, had he failed them somehow? Did bringing children into a relationship without the bond make it wrong? He shivered, nausea taking over as he thought about it. How was he supposed to be strong when he felt so much guilt? After a few more moments of silence he sighed, pulling the chair closer to the bed so he could rest his head on Raditz's arm.

8o8

Raditz growled, his stomach aching and rib cage cracked all over. It had been over a week and the wound still hadn't healed. And the constant nausea and fever told him his wounds had become infected. He couldn't keep himself from shaking as he walked, holding his stomach in fear with his tail tucked between his legs. It took all his will power not to whimper. He had been careless on that mission, distracted by the child's kicking, and hadn't noticed Nappa blow up a large oil refinery. The resulting blast and thrown him through a building and his state of health it had done him a great deal of damage.

In the distance he heard something click down the hallway and he continued walking, boots clicking on the metallic floor as he did so. He hated it, the fear he felt walking down the hall of Frieza's ship. There was always the sterile smell of cleaners in the air, the smell was never able to hide the scent of blood and filth but judging by how strong the smell of disinfectant always was the Janitor's were surely trying. For him the smell of cleaners and blood had always made him sick. He gagged but managed to keep it down, though his abdomen still twitched with agitation. Raditz thought the feeling was odd, after all this was the first time he- He froze before turning and running to the medical bay. If he was right then- No, he prayed he was wrong, that it was only a minor contraction in his gut and nothing more. Just as he turned the corner leading to the medical bay he was forced to skid to a halt. There stood Zarbon, a dangerous smirk on his lips.

"My, my, what seems to be the rush?" He taunted and Raditz knew that was it, he wouldn't be going to the medical bay anytime soon, it came as no surprise to him later, long after Zarbon beat him, when he miscarried.

8o8

As soon as he woke up Raditz leaned over the side of the bed and threw up. He was shaking, remembering how he held his still child. Warm yet not breathing. She hadn't even come into the world with a pulse. A sob escaped his throat before he clamped a hand over his mouth, trying not to scream. He had been stupid, ignoring the signs of his sickness before it was too late, before his unborn daughter had paid the price. His entire frame shook as he whimpered, the image of her not leaving his mind... He hadn't even named her. Numbly he felt someone grab his shoulders and he raised his head to face them.

"K- Kakarot?" He spoke hoarsely, tears clouding his vision.

The younger kissed his forehead and wiped a tear away.

"It's okay Raditz, it's okay now." Goku whispered to him, wrapping his arms around him in protective embrace.

"No, no it's not! S-she's dead Kakarot. It's my fault." He gasped out, his shaking increased.

Goku nuzzled him like his brother had done for him many times before, holding him as he cried. Raditz clutched the fabric of Goku's shirt, unable to speak as he sobbed with grief. He hated himself for it, he was supposed to be strong for his little brother and here he was breaking down in front of him. Raditz grit his teeth, refusing to let the next sob escape his throat.

"W-who's dead?" Raditz could hear the hesitance his brother felt in asking.

"I-I would rather speak of this another time Kakarot... W-when we're home." Goku nodded.

"Okay, I'll tell Bulma I'm bringing you home now." He then kissed Raditz forehead before leaving the room, leaving the long haired Saiyan to his thoughts.

8o8

Bulma chewed on the end of her pen, glaring down at the thin piece of metal in front of her. The thing seemed to be constructed out of hundreds of thin needles the width of a hair each. She still couldn't figure out what the hell it was supposed to do, or why someone had stuck it in Raditz's head. She felt a tap on her shoulder and she jumped, swinging an open faced palm towards her would be attackers face. Goku yelped, ducking to avoid Bulma's slap.

"Wha-what did I do?" He asked in bewilderment, his eyes wide.

"D-Don't sneak up on me!" She snapped, blushing in embarrassment. "I get jumpy when I'm tired okay?"

"O-okay?"

"Why are you in here anyways?" Goku straightened up at that and Bulma blinked at his sudden seriousness.

"Raditz wants to go home, I'll bring him back if he gets sick again but... he just really wants to be home right now."

"You might as well... I can't figure out this metal thing. But it doesn't hurt for you to visit sometimes... I know things between you and Chichi are pretty rough since Goten hasn't visited us either..."

Goku frowned scratching the back of his head.

"Oh... I-I guess no one told you then."

"Told me what exactly?"

"Chichi uh... left with the kids a few months ago."

"Sh-she WHAT!"

"Bye now!" Goku managed to squeak before using his instant transmission to reappear in Raditz's room.

It was nothing against Bulma, he just couldn't bring himself to continue that conversation. He scooped Raditz up into his arms and quickly flew out the window.

"Care to explain why you're in such a rush?" Raditz grumbled, knowing full well that he could fly by himself without the other carrying him.

"Bulma was... asking questions about Chichi and I, I just don't want to go into that right now."

"That's...understandable." Raditz sighed.

They got home quickly, Goku carried him through the front door and up the stairs to the bathroom.

"I'm going to get breakfast ready, you probably want to clean up after everything right?"

"Yeah... I'll just be taking a bath, can't have water in stitches."

"Okay, I'll be back in a bit okay?"

Raditz nodded and Goku left him alone. He was thankful for the silence for only a moment, the images from before still flashed through his mind in bursts. Raditz gagged, feeling like he would throw up again, glad that he was able to hold it down. He brushed his teeth until the taste of his early stomach upset was erased. Then he ran a bath, filling the tub with hot water and epsom salts as well as some scented bath soap he had found in the cupboard under the sink. The bathroom soon filled with the scent of lavender and Raditz sighed in contentment. A flower of similar scent to the lavender used to grow near his home on Planet Vegeta... he had always liked the scent. Slowly he lowered himself into the water and stretched, feeling various aches and pains pop out into submission. He let his tail swish the water, enjoying the feeling of it flowing through the fur.

He was calmer, though the thoughts of his lost daughter still haunted him at the edge of his mind he didn't feel the same a panicked revulsion from before. Shivers still ghosted over his skin but that was the only flaw in his self control. Raditz leaned back and closed his eyes, almost falling asleep before Goku opened the door.

"Hey... you feeling a bit better?" Goku asked with a gentle smile on his lips.

"Yes... much better." He sighed, sinking himself further into the water.

Goku's smile brightened and he knelled down beside the tub, arms crossed on the edge with his head resting on top by his cheek. Raditz couldn't help but return his brothers smile before leaning forward to kiss the others forehead.

"Chicken soup is simmering so I can serve it when you're ready." Goku giggled, tipping his head up so that their nose touched.

"Mmm." Raditz hummed, tail rising from the water a moment before sinking back in.

"I thought it would be easy on your stomach since you're sick right now..." Goku murmured and Raditz sighed.

"It's... not that type of sick Kakarot." He said, pulling away so he could sit back in the bath.

"Oh, is it from... what had you so upset at Bulma's?"

"Yes Kakarot... we'll talk about that after dinner."

"Okay..."

Raditz stood and Goku followed, the younger grabbing a towel for Raditz as he stepped out of the tub. Both of them were silent as Raditz dried and dressed before going to the kitchen. Dinner was silent as well, both of them too focused on the conversation to come ahead. Once they each finished their soup they placed the bowls in the sink to be washed later and went upstairs to the room. Goku grabbed a hair brush and sat with his back against the pillows, patting the space in front of him for Raditz to sit down.

"Yank on any knots and I swear-"

"Aw I promise not to Raditz." Goku whined his tail twitching with nervous anticipation.

Raditz rolled his eyes before sitting down on the bed as Goku began to brush his hair.

"The first thing yous should know," He winced as Goku accidentally tugged on a knot. "Is that my biology is different than your own..."

"Well, we're brothers so it can't be that much different..."

"Usually you would be right but... well let me start at the beginning. During the war with the Tuffles our race was poisoned but we didn't realize it until King Vegeta won his victory over them. The poison was designed to kill our females and the number of females born dropped to a third of the regular amount within a year. So while they tried to find a cure... a few of the male children who were still in the womb were tested to see if they were fertile. A natural occurrence in Saiyan's since our ancient times. They then enhanced the Fertiles so that they could better protect their children. I don't know how much they altered in me but... it didn't matter. Frieza came along, our planet was destroyed shortly after and after years of... enduring their games I-I became pregnant... I miscarried. I remember being caught holding her by Zarbon who dragged me to Frieza. I think I was knocked out afterwards because all remember is being sent to earth when I woke up with orders to capture you and destroy the planet... but even that's fuzzy."

"Y-You were pregnant?" Goku stuttered out and Raditz looked back at his brother, knowing it was a lot for him to take in at once. "And... she's dead."

"Yes... I don't believe I'm able to conceive anymore after what happened."

"I'm... I'm so sorry Raditz."

The long haired Saiyan was surprised when he felt arms wrap around him, and Goku's frame shaking as his younger brother cried for him. He had expected the other to be sick of him, sick because of the ideals the humans held onto, that if it wasn't like them then it didn't belong. That seemed to be their philosophy. Yet here his brother was, crying for him, and for his lost child. He turned around, pulling his brother close in a tighter embrace.

"Shhh don't waste your tears on me Kakarot." He soothed, a hand in his hair.

"It's not a waste Raditz, i-it's never a waste." Goku hiccuped before burying his face in his brothers shoulder.

Raditz shook his head, his own tears running down the sides of his face. Here he was, the traumatized older brother, brought back to life by the broken little brother who lost his family. Things were such a mess.

**A/N: And there, I didn't kill Raditz of with that one so you can all take a collective sigh of relief... thought not too big of one since Raditz and Goku still have a lot of healing to do.**


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